Influencer stream customization for follower viewers

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are provided for generating a video stream for followers of an influencer during a session. The method includes capturing video images of an environment of the influencer, wherein the environment includes the influencer viewing an online content channel. The method includes detecting surface parameters in the environment and processing the surface parameters to identify three-dimensional features associated with the surface parameter. The method includes identifying a follower that is viewing the influencer. The method includes generating an overlay image for at least one of the surface parameters, the overlay image is configured for dynamic contouring to the identified three-dimensional features during the session. The overlay image is selected based on a profile of the follower so that the video stream received by the follower when viewing the influencer is customized based on the profile of the follower

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 63/052,902, filed Jul. 16, 2020,entitled “INFLUENCER STREAM CUSTOMIZATION FOR FOLLOWER VIEWERS,” thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entiretyfor all purposes.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates generally to video streams, and moreparticularly to methods and systems for generating a customized videostream for followers of an influencer during a session.

2. Description of the Related Art

Digital marketing has seen many changes over the years with the growthof social media. In particular, influencer marketing which involvesendorsements and product placement by influencers (e.g., people andorganizations who have a purported expert level of knowledge or socialinfluence in their field) have risen in popularity over the years. Tothis end, influencers have been seeking ways to develop sophisticatedoperations that would enhance consumer engagement which in turn can helpgenerate more revenue for influencers and their sponsors.

A growing trend in digital marketing is the growth of influencermarketing which involves businesses collaborating with influencers toendorse their product, services, brand, etc. Generally, influencers arepaid to endorse a product, service, brand, etc., however, the amountthey are paid are based on several factors. These factors may includethe total number of followers the influencer has, the amount ofengagement their social media post garner from their followers, thenumber of social media posts and frequency of the social media posts,etc. Unfortunately, many followers of the influencer are uninterested inthe products and services the influencer endorses. For example, a viewerthat is viewing the influencer's social media channel may be interestedin fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. While viewing theinfluencer's channel, if the influencer endorses products that theviewer does not have an interest in (e.g., fast food, junk food, etc.),the viewer may stop viewing the influencer's social media channel. Theinfluencer may run the risk of the viewer being disengaged from theinfluencer's channel because they dislike the product that is beingpromoted by the influencer. As a result, this may lead to the viewer andother followers from unsubscribing from the influencer's channel whichcan lead to a decrease in revenue for the influencer.

It is in this context that implementations of the disclosure arise.

SUMMARY

Implementations of the present disclosure include devices, methods andsystems relating to generating a customized video stream for followersof an influencer. In some embodiments, followers can connect to achannel of an influencer to view content created by an influencer. Inone embodiment, a plurality of cameras can be used to record theinfluencer and an environment of the influencer while the influencercreates content for their channel The influencer channel may be includevarious types of content. In one example, the content may be a recording(e.g., live or rebroadcast) that shows the influencer watching andreacting to a content channel of a player. In some embodiments, varioussurfaces on real-world objects in the environment of the influencer canbe identified and designated as markers. Using the markers as a targetlocation, an overlay image (e.g., advertisements, sponsorships, logos,etc.) can be generated onto a surface area of the markers. In someembodiments, the overlay images can be selected based on a profile ofthe follower which results in a customized video stream for eachfollower.

In one embodiment, method for generating a video stream for followers ofan influencer during a session is disclosed. In this embodiment, themethod capturing video images of an environment of the influencer,wherein the environment includes the influencer viewing an onlinecontent channel. The method includes detecting surface parameters in theenvironment and processing the surface parameters to identifythree-dimensional features associated with the surface parameter. Themethod includes identifying a follower that is viewing the influencer.The method includes generating an overlay image for at least one of thesurface parameters, the overlay image is configured for dynamiccontouring to the identified three-dimensional features during thesession. The overlay image is selected based on a profile of thefollower so that the video stream received by the follower when viewingthe influencer is customized based on the profile of the follower.

In another embodiment, a method for generating a video stream forfollowers of an influencer during a session is disclosed. The methodincludes capturing video images of an environment of the influencer. Theenvironment includes the influencer viewing an online content channel.The method includes detecting surface parameters in the environment andprocessing the surface parameters to identify three-dimensional featuresassociated with the surface parameters. The method includes identifyinga plurality of followers that are viewing the influencer. The methodincludes generating an overlay image for at least one of the surfaceparameters. The overlay is selected based on information identified inprofiles of the plurality of followers. The video stream received by thefollowers is customized during the session.

Other aspects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles ofthe disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may be better understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1A is an embodiment illustrating an influencer and a plurality ofspectators connected to a content channel of a player, and a pluralityof followers connected an influencer channel, in accordance with animplementation of the disclosure.

FIG. 1B is an embodiment illustrating a plurality of followers connectedto an influencer channel to view a video recording of an influencerwatching and commentating on a gameplay of a player, in accordance withan implementation of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of an environment 104 of an influencerand a plurality of surfaces identified and designated as markers, inaccordance with an implementation of the disclosure.

FIG. 3A is an embodiment illustrating a follower interface which showsthe environment of the influencer after generating overlay images forthe surface parameters associated with the location of the markers, inaccordance with an implementation of the disclosure.

FIGS. 3B-1-3D-2 illustrate an embodiment of an overlay image that hasbeen generated onto the shirt of an influencer with the arm position ofthe influencer at different positions, in accordance with animplementation of the disclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates an embodiment of a follower interface which providesa view from the perspective of a follower when the follower is connectedto the influencer channel, in accordance with an implementation of thedisclosure.

FIG. 4B illustrates an embodiment of a follower interface which providesa view from the perspective of a follower when the follower is connectedto the influencer, in accordance with an implementation of thedisclosure.

FIG. 4C illustrates an embodiment of a follower interface which providesa view from the perspective of a follower when the follower is connectedto the influencer channel, in accordance with an implementation of thedisclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a method for generating a videostream for followers of an influencer during a session by generatingoverlay images for at least one surface parameter in the environment ofthe influencer, in accordance with an implementation of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates components of an example device 600 that can be usedto perform aspects of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following implementations of the present disclosure provide devices,methods, and systems for generating a customized video stream forfollowers of an influencer during a session. In particular, the presentdisclosure provides followers of an influencer with a customized videostream that includes a plurality of overlay images (e.g.,advertisements, sponsorships, logos, etc.) that are generated on varioussurfaces of the influencer's environment. The overlay images may beselected based on the interest of the followers, which in turn can helpenhance follower engagement and generate greater revenue for theinfluencer.

In one embodiment, the method a method is disclosed that enablesgenerating a customized video stream for followers of an influencer. Themethod includes capturing video images of an environment of theinfluencer and detecting surface parameters in the environment of theinfluencer. In one embodiment, the method includes processing thesurface parameters to identify three-dimensional features associatedwith the surface parameters. In still other embodiments, the methodfurther includes generating an overlay image for at least one of thesurface parameters detected in the environment of the influencer. Itwill be obvious, however, to one skilled in the art that the presentdisclosure may be practiced without some or all of the specific detailspresently described. In other instances, well known process operationshave not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscurethe present disclosure.

In accordance with one embodiment, a plurality of followers can connectto a channel of the influencer over a network to view content (e.g.,video, audio, photos, etc.) created by the influencer. In one example,the influencer may create content that includes a recording of theinfluencer viewing a content channel of a player which shows the playercompeting in a live gaming event (e.g., E-sports event). While viewingthe player competing in the event, the influencer may provide aplay-by-play commentary of what is occurring in the live gaming event.Accordingly, when the followers are connected to view content on theinfluencer's channel, the followers may have a view of the live gamingevent, a view of the influencer watching the live gaming event, and anaudio feed of the influencer's play-by-play commentary of the livegaming event. In some embodiments, a plurality of spectators can connectto the content channel of the player to view content created by theplayer. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the influencer and thespectators can view the player's content by connecting directly to thecontent channel of the player, whereas the followers can view theplayer's content by connecting to the channel of the influencer.

In accordance with another embodiment, when the followers are connectedto view content on the influencer channel, the content being viewed mayinclude content such as video content that provides a view into theenvironment of the influencer. In some embodiments, the environment ofthe influencer (e.g., bedroom, recording studio, internet cafè, publiclocation, etc.) may include various objects and audiovisual equipmentthat the influencer can use to record content for their channel Inaccordance with one embodiment, markers may be physically anchored to orembedded in real-world objects. For example, markers can be physicallyanchored onto clothing worn by the influencer and/or various real-worldobjects (e.g., bookshelf, picture frame, cabinet, etc.) in theenvironment of the influencer. In some embodiments, the markers do notneed to be physically anchored on the real-world objects. Instead, themarker can be a virtual marker that has visually distinguishable pointssuch as a button on a shirt, sleeve on a shirt, edge on a bookshelf,corner on a picture frame, etc. In some embodiments, a surface areawhere the markers are located has a plurality of surface parametersassociated with the surface area. These parameters may include3-dimensional surface contours, wrinkles, folds, creases, shading,occlusions, textures, curvature, shadowing, etc.

In accordance with another embodiment an overlay image can be generatedonto a location associated with the surface area of an object. Theoverlay image may include a variety of images such as a sponsorshiplogo, an advertisement, a symbol identifying products or services of acompany, etc. In some embodiments, the specific overlay images generatedonto the surface area of the object can be selected based on theinterest and preferences of the followers. As noted, the surface area ofan object may include a plurality of surface parameters such as3-dimensional surface contours, wrinkles, folds, creases, shading,occlusions, textures, curvature, shadowing, etc. When the overlay imageis generated onto a surface of an object, the overlay image may appearas if it is integrated onto the surface area of the object (e.g., shirt,bookshelf, closet, etc.). In other words, the overlay image may alsoinclude the surface parameters associated with surface of the object.For example, a shirt of an influencer includes several wrinkles, folds,and shading. When an overlay image of a “Batman” logo is overlaid ontothe surface area of the shirt, the Batman logo may also include similarwrinkles, folds, and shading on its surface.

With the above overview in mind, the following provides several examplefigures to facilitate understanding of the example embodiments.

FIG. 1A is an embodiment illustrating an influencer 102 and a pluralityof spectators 120 connected to a content channel 108 of a player 114,and a plurality of followers 110 connected an influencer channel 106. Asshown, FIG. 1A illustrates a plurality of followers 110 a-110 nconnected to the influencer channel 106 to view content of theinfluencer 102. In one embodiment, the content created by the influencer102 provides a view into an environment of the influencer 102 that iscaptured by camera 122 which has a camera POV 124. For example, theinfluencer 102 may create content that includes a recording of theinfluence 102 candidly talking about a new PlayStation video game thatwas recently released. The camera 122 is used to record the influencer102 in the environment (e.g., bedroom) of the influencer while theinfluencer talks about the new video game. In another embodiment, theinfluencer 102 is connected to content channel 108 so that theinfluencer 102 can view content created by a player 114. In someembodiments, the content channel 108 includes a recording of the player114 that is captured by camera 116 with a camera POV 125. In yet anotherembodiment, a plurality of spectators 120 are connected to the contentchannel 108 to view content created by the player 114.

In some embodiments, the plurality of followers 110 are connected to theinfluencer channel 106 to view content provided by the influencer 102.In one embodiment, the plurality of followers 110 are those who followor subscribe to the influencer channel 106 because they are interestedin the content that the influencer 102 creates and makes available viathe influencer channel 106. In one example, an influencer 102 may be afamous pop singer who has a large fan base. Each week, when the popsinger creates and releases a new video content on the influencerchannel 106, the followers 110 are notified that new content isavailable for viewing. In some embodiments, the influencer channel 106may include content that is available for live-viewing and/or contentthat has been rebroadcasted and available for viewing at any desiredtime.

In some embodiments, the influencer 102 creates various content andmakes it available for viewing on the influencer channel 106. Theinfluencer 102 may be a person who has a substantial following on avideo platform and/or social media platform (e.g., Sony, YouTube,Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) The influencer 102 can set trendsand provide their followers 110 with their opinion on various services,products, brands, etc. to help companies market their services andproducts. In some embodiments the influencer 102 may be a professionalgamer, a performing artist, a visual artist, an athlete, an industryexpert, or person that is well respected and have specialized knowledgein the particular niche or industry. In some embodiments, the contentcreated by the influencer 102 may be captured by the camera 122. Forexample, the influencer 102 may be a person well versed in the videogame industry and is known for reviewing and providing commentary onhorror video games. The camera 122 can be used to help the influencer122 create content for the influencer channel 106. For example, thecamera 122 can be used to record the influencer 102 previewing andcritiquing a new horror video game has just been released. In someembodiments, the influencer 102 can make edits to the recorded videocontent to enhance the content (e.g., adding background music, soundeffects, graphics, images, etc.) and/or customize it to make it moreappealing to their followers 110. In one embodiment, the content createdby the influencer 102 can be a video recording, an audio recording,images, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the influencer 102 can connect to the contentchannel 108 to view content created by the player 114. The contentchannel 108 of the player 114 may include various types of contentcreated by the player 114 such as a video recording, an audio recording,images, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the camera 116is used to record the player 114 performing various activities, e.g.,playing a video game, endorsing a product, etc. The recorded video canbe used as content and viewed on the content channel 108. In someembodiments, a plurality of spectators 120 a-120 n can connect to thecontent channel 108 to view content created by the player 114. Asillustrated in FIG. 1A, in one embodiment, the influencer 102 and thespectators 120 can view the content of the player 114 by connectingdirectly to the content channel 108, whereas the followers 110 can viewthe player's content by connecting to the influencer channel 106.

FIG. 1B is an embodiment illustrating a plurality of followers 110 a-110n connected to an influencer channel 106 to view a video recording of aninfluencer 102 watching and commentating on a gameplay of a player 114.As shown, the embodiment includes followers 110 a-110 n, influencerchannel 106, player 114, content channel 108, spectators 120 a-120 n. Inone embodiment, the followers 110 a-110 n are connected to theinfluencer channel 106 through a network 112 and can view contentassociated with the influencer 102 via the influencer channel 106. Asnoted above, the plurality of followers 110 may subscribe to theinfluencer channel 106 and view content that the influencer 102 releasesand makes available through the influencer channel 106. In someembodiments, the followers 110 are connected to the influencer channel106 because of their interest in the content that the influencer 102creates or because of their interest in the influencer's 102 characterirrespective of the subject matter of the content. For example, theinfluencer 102 may be a comedian that has a likeable personality whomany people find enjoyable to watch. If the comedian creates contentrelated to a new action movie that was recently released, although somefollowers may not be interested in the new action move, the content maystill be appealing to the followers because the followers finds theinfluencer entertaining to watch.

In one embodiment, various content (e.g., video, audio, photos, etc.)created by the influencer 102 can be viewed on the influencer channel106. In one example, the influencer channel 106 includes video contentthat is available for live-viewing and/or rebroadcasted and availablefor viewing at any desired time. The type of content created by theinfluencer 102 may depend on what the influencer 102 creates and shareswith the followers 110. For example, the influencer 102 may create“reaction videos” which includes a recording of the influencer 102viewing media content that they have never seen before. To furtherillustrate this example, as shown in FIG. 1B, the influencer 102 isconnected to the content channel 108 to view the content availablethrough the content channel 108 of the player. As illustrated, theinfluencer 102 is shown watching the player 114 playing a video game.Various audiovisual equipment (e.g., microphone and cameras) thatlocated are located in the environment 104 of the influencer 102 areconfigured to record the influencer 102 while the influencer 102 viewsthe gameplay and reacts to what is occurring the gameplay.

In other embodiments, the spectators 120 a-120 n can connect to thecontent channel 108 over network 112 to view the content of the player114. As illustrated in the FIG. 1B, the content channel 108 may includea recording of the player 114 playing a game involving soldiers in warbattle. As noted above, the influencer 102 and the spectators 120 canboth connect directly to the content channel 108 to view the gameplay ofthe player 114. However, in some embodiments, the followers 110 can viewthe gameplay of the player 114 by connecting and viewing it through theinfluencer channel 106.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of an environment 104 of an influencer102 and a plurality of surfaces identified and designated as markers. Inone embodiment, the system may designate various surfaces and content(e.g., picture in picture frame) associated with objects in theenvironment 104 of the influencer 102 as markers so that overlay imagescan be overlaid onto the marker location. In one example, varioussurfaces on objects such as clothing worn by the influencer andfurniture located in the environment 104 can be designated as markers(e.g., 220 a-220 b, 221 a-221 b, 223, 224 a-224 c, 226 a-226 b). Thesemarker locations can then be used to overlay various overlay images togenerate a video stream for a follower. In some embodiments, the markersmay be physically anchored on various real-world objects in theenvironment 104 of the influencer 102. The markers can be encoded withdata and can been used to convey a position of the markers in relationto the camera 122.

In some embodiments, the environment 104 is the physical location wherethe influencer 102 creates and records the content that the influencershares on the influencer channel 106. The environment 104 can be anyphysical location such as a bedroom, recording studio, internet cafèpublic location, etc. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the influencer 102 isshown sitting at a desk wearing headphones 206 while viewing content ona computer monitor 204. When creating content for the influencer channel106, the microphone 222 and the cameras 122 a-122 n can be used torecord the influencer 102. The environment 104 of the influencer mayinclude various real-world objects such as a chair 202, a bookshelf 208,picture frames 210 a-210 b, and a closet 214. For example, asillustrated in the FIG. 2, a plurality of surfaces in the environment104 of the influencer 102 are identified and designated as markers.Markers 221 a-221 b are located on the surface of the influencer's shirt(e.g., sleeve and front, respectfully). Marker 223 is located on asurface of computer monitor 204. Markers 226 a-226 b are located on thesurfaces of the bookshelf 208 (e.g., side and shelf, respectfully).Markers 220 a-202 b are located on the surfaces of the picture frames210 a-210 b where the content is located, respectfully. Markers 224a-224 c are located on the surfaces of the closet 214 (e.g., upperfront, lower front, and side, respectfully).

In some embodiments, markers can be anything as long it has enoughunique and distinguishable points such as edges, corners, and buttons ona shirt, etc. In one example, the buttons and collar of a shirt that theinfluencer 102 is wearing may be suitable markers because they includeunique distinguishable visual points. In another example, the cornersand edges of the picture frames 210 a-210 b may also be suitable markerssince the corners and edges of picture frames are unique anddistinguishable points. In some embodiments, a surface area associatedwith the location of a marker may include plurality of surfaceparameters that characterizes the surface area. These surface parametersmay include various associated three-dimensional features such assurface contours, wrinkles, folds, creases, shading, occlusions,textures, curvature, shadowing, etc. For example, the influencer's shirtmay have various wrinkles, folds, and creases at various areas on theshirt. The sleeve of the shirt may have more wrinkles, folds, andcreases than the front of the shirt because the sleeve of the shirt ismore susceptible to movement (e.g., bending of the arms) compared to thefront of the shirt. Accordingly, in one example, the surface areaassociated with the location of marker 221 a (e.g., sleeve of shirt) mayhave different surface parameters than the surface area associated withthe location of marker 221 b (e.g., front of shirt).

In accordance with another embodiment, the cameras 122 a-122 n can beplaced at various locations in the environment 104 of the influencer 102and can be configured record the influencer 102 and any objects withinits point of view (POV). Each camera is positioned at a differentlocation within the environment 104 which captures a unique view of theenvironment 104. Each camera 122 includes an associated camera point ofview POV 124 a-124 n that captures any objects within its POV. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 2, camera 122 a is positioned above the closet214 and the corresponding camera POV 124 a captures the bookshelf 208,picture frames 210 a-210 b, and a partial view of the influencer 102.Camera 122 b is positioned above the closet 214 and the correspondingcamera POV 124 b captures the influencer 102 and a partial view of thebookshelf 208. Camera 122 n is positioned above picture frame 210 a andthe corresponding camera POV 124 n captures the influencer 102, thecloset 214, picture frame 210 b, and a partial view of the picture frame210 a.

In some embodiments, the cameras 122 a-122 n may be configured torecognize, track and process the markers. The cameras 122 a-122 n can bemounted on a 3-axis gimbal that allows the camera to rotate freely aboutany axis to enable the capturing of various angles of the influencer102. In one embodiment, the cameras 122 a-122 n may be a pan-tilt-zoomcamera which can be configured to automatically zoom in and track thebody movement of the influencer and the various markers in theenvironment 104. In one example, the influencer 102 may be viewing amusic video on the content channel 108 and is fully immersed in thecontent. While watching the music video, the influencer 102 may notrealize that the influencer is dancing and moving around. As theinfluencer 102 makes various movements while watching the music video,the cameras 122 a-122 n can track the location of the influencer alongwith the markers 221 a-221 b on the influencer's shirt.

FIG. 3A is an embodiment illustrating a follower interface 302 whichshows the environment 104 of the influencer 102 after generating overlayimages for the surface parameters associated with the location of themarkers. The follower interface provides a view from the perspective ofthe follower 110 when the follower 110 is connected to the influencerchannel 106. In the illustrated embodiment, FIG. 3A shows an exemplaryvideo content that the influencer 102 created for the followers 110 toview on the influencer channel 106. As shown, the influencer's contentincludes the influencer 102 viewing the content channel 108 andcommentating on what is occurring in the content channel 108. Forexample, in some embodiments, the content channel 108 may be a recording(e.g., live or rebroadcast) of a player 114 competing in an E-sportsevent. While the player 114 is competing in the E-sports event, theinfluencer 102 can provide commentary and analyze the sequence of eventsoccurring in the event. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3A, the followerinterface 302 includes a view of the influencer 102 in their environment104 combined with a view into the content channel 108 of the player 114.

As further illustrated in FIG. 3A, in one embodiment, various overlayimages can be overlaid onto a location associated with a surface area ofthe marker. This provides the followers 110 with a customized videostream since the selected overlay images can be based on the interestand preferences of the followers 110. In accordance with one embodiment,an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Module is configured to receive datafrom the influencer channel 106 and data associated with a profile ofthe follower 110 to determine which overlay images to generate for aparticular follower 110. The follower profile can include variousattributes associated with the follower 110 such as the follower'sinterests, preferences, likes, dislikes, gaming experience and skilllevel, etc. The AI module implements one or more machine learningoperations that ingest the follower profile and the data from theinfluencer channel 106 as inputs. The data from the influencer channel106 can provide the AI module with the context of what the followers areviewing on the influencer channel 106 such as the type of content andthe subject matter of the content.

In one example, the AI Module may determine that a follower 110 isconnected to the influencer channel 106 and watching a video of aninfluencer 102 reacting to an action movie. Based on the profile of thefollower 110, the AI module knows that the follower 110 is interested incomic books and video games. Accordingly, the AI module may selectoverlay images that includes advertisements related to new “batman”movie that will be released in the upcoming weeks. As a result,generating overlay images that may align with the interest andpreferences of the followers 110 may result in an increase in followerengagement and can lead to higher revenue for the influencer 102.

In some embodiments, the system may identify additional followers duringa session as each additional follower connects to the influencer channel106 to join the session to view content on the influencer channel 106.In one embodiment, for each additional follower, the system may generatean additional overlay image that is dynamically contoured to theidentified three-dimensional features associated with a marker locationduring the session. In some embodiments, for each additional follower,the overlay image is based on the respective profile of the additionalfollower which results in a customized video stream for each additionalfollower. Accordingly, when viewing the influencer channel 106, eachadditional follower may receive a video stream that is different fromeach other since the overlay images are different for each follower andis selected based on the profile of the follower. In another embodiment,when one or more additional followers are identified, the the overlayimage that is selected is additionally based on a combination of theprofile of the follower and profiles of the one or more additionalfollowers such that each of the follower and the additional followersreceives the overlay image in the video stream. Instead of each followerhave a different overlay image, the followers may have the same overlayimage when they are connected to view content on the influencer channel106. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the video stream and the overlayimage are customized for a group that includes the follower and the oneor more additional followers.

As further illustrated in the FIG. 3A, the figure shows a plurality ofoverlay images generated onto the shirt of the influencer 102 andvarious objects in the environment 104. In particular, overlay imagesrepresenting “batman” (e.g., 312 a) and “RCA Records” (e.g., 313) aredynamically contoured onto the three-dimensional features of shirt ofthe influencer 102 where markers 221 a-121 b are located, respectfully.An overlay image representing “Legacy Recordings” (e.g., 310) isdynamically contoured onto the three-dimensional features of the rearsurface of the computer monitor 204 where marker 223 is located. Overlayimages representing “Gaikai” (e.g., 308 a) and “Insomniac Games, Inc.”(e.g., 308 b) are dynamically contoured onto the three-dimensionalfeatures of the bookshelf 208 where markers 226 a-226 b are located.Overlay images representing “Epic Records” and “Bad Boy Records” aredynamically contoured onto the three-dimensional features of the pictureframes 210 a-210 b where markers 220 a-220 b are located, respectively.Furthermore, overlay images representing “Columbia Pictures Industries,”“Startime International” and “PlayStation 5” are dynamically contouredonto the three-dimensional features of the surfaces of the closet 214where markers 224 a-224 c are located, respectively.

FIGS. 3B-1-3D-2 illustrate an embodiment of an overlay image that hasbeen generated onto the shirt of an influencer with the arm position ofthe influencer at different positions. In particular, FIGS. 3B-1-3D-2illustrate an overlay image representing “batman” (e.g., 312 b-312 c) asan example. In some embodiments, the surface area associated with theshirt of the influencer 102 may include various surface parameters. Thesurface parameters may include various associated three-dimensionalfeatures such as surface contours, wrinkles, folds, creases, shading,occlusions, textures, curvature, shadowing, etc. When the influencer 102moves their arm, the surface parameters on the shirt changes because themovement and position of the arm may cause the shirt to stretch, bend,pull, etc. in different angles and directions. As a result, forces areapplied to the shirt (e.g., tension, compression, bending, etc.) as thearm of the influencer moves to a different position. This results inchanges to the surface parameters associated with the shirt because ateach arm position, different forces are applied to the shirt. In turn,since the overlay image is overlaid onto the surface of the shirt, thechanges to the surface parameters may also be reflected on the surfaceof the overlay image so that the overlay image appears realistic as ifit was printed on the shirt.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B-1, the figure illustrates a“batman” overlay image 312 b that has been generated onto a shirt of theinfluencer 102. As shown, the overlay image 312 b appears realistic asif the overlay image 312 b is integrated onto the shirt. The figurefurther illustrates the influencer 102 holding a controller 314 withtheir arms 315 extended and pointed in an upward direction. An arm angle326 a is the angle formed between a reference line 328 and an armreference line 330. Generally speaking, the reference line 328 isgenerally fixed because the reference line 328 is parallel with asurface that the influencer is standing on. Accordingly, the arm angle326 a can dynamically change as the influencer moves the position oftheir arm 315.

Referring to FIG. 3B-2, the figure illustrates an enlarged view of theoverlay image 312 b shown in FIG. 3B-1 with its corresponding surfaceparameters 316 b. As noted, the shirt of the influencer may includevarious surface parameters for a given position of the influencer's arm.Accordingly, the overlay image 312 b includes various surface parameters316 b such as texture 318, 3D surface contours 320 a-320 b, wrinkles 322a-322 b, and folds 324 a-324 b. When an overlay image is generated ontoa shirt, the physical characteristics of the fabric of the shirt can beincorporated on the overlay image so that the overlay image appears morerealistic. For example, the influencer's shirt can be made from avariety of fabrics such as cotton, silk, wool, tweed, etc. Each type offabric may have a unique type of surface texture (e.g., soft, smooth,rough, etc.) that is visually and physically distinguishable. As shownin the FIG. 3B-2, the overlay image 312 b includes a texture 318 whichis similar to the texture of the influencer's shirt. Since the textureof the shirt is incorporated onto the overlay image, the overlay imageappears more realistic.

In another embodiment, the shirt of the influencer may include various3D surface contours. To further enhance the features of the overlayimage 312 b so that it appears more realistic, the overlay image 312 bmay include 3D surface contours 320 a-320 b which also appear in variousareas on the influencer's shirt as a result of various forces beingapplied on the shirt. In some embodiments, the 3D surface contours 320a-320 b may be elevated in a direction away from the surface of theinfluencer's arm and protrude in various directions in athree-dimensional space. The 3D surface contours may be the result ofloose fabric that protrudes outward because the base of the 3D surfacecontour is creased or folded.

In another embodiment, the shirt of the influencer may include aplurality of wrinkles 322 a-322 b. The wrinkles may appear on the shirtbecause the fabric of the shirt may be susceptible to wrinkles, andvarious environmental conditions (e.g., moisture and temperature) maycause the wrinkles the form. As shown in the FIG. 3B-2, wrinkles 322a-322 b begin at an upper portion of the figure and extend into aportion of the overlay image 312 b. In another embodiment, the shirt ofthe influencer may include folds 324 a-324 b. In some embodiments, thefolds 324 a-324 b may be caused by loose fabric and various forces maycause the fabric to fold. For example, when the influencer 102 bendstheir arms, the material on the inside is compressed and it causes foldsto appear on the outside of the shirt As illustrated in the FIG. 3B-2,the folds 324 a-324 b begins at a portion outside of the overlay image312 b and extends naturally into a portion of the overlay image 312 b.

In another embodiment, FIG. 3C-1 illustrates an alternative arm positionof the influence 102 with the “batman” overlay image 312 c generatedonto a shirt of the influencer 102. As illustrated, the influencer 102is shown holding a controller 314 with their arms 315 extended andpointed in an upward direction. The arm angle 326 b is the angle formedbetween a reference line 328 and an arm reference line 330. Generally,the arm angle 326 b in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3C-1 is largerthan the arm angle 326 a in FIG. 3B-1. Accordingly, the surfaceparameters 316 c for the embodiment in FIG. 3C-1 may be different thanthe surface parameters 316 b in in FIG. 3B-1 because the influencer'sarm 315 is set at different position and angle.

Referring to FIG. 3C-2, the figure illustrates an enlarged view of theoverlay image 312 c shown in FIG. 3C-1 with its corresponding surfaceparameters 316 c. As noted above, when the arm of the influencer ismoves to a new position, the shirt may stretch, bend, pull, etc. invarious angles and directions. As a result, different forces are appliedto the shirt and new surface parameters 316 c can form. As shown in FIG.3C-2, with an increase in the arm angle of the influencer, e.g., armangle 326 b, this results in an overlay image 312 c having surfaceparameters 316 c that includes texture 318, 3D surface contour 320,wrinkles 322 c-322 d, and folds 324 b-324 c.

In another embodiment, FIG. 3D-1 illustrates an alternative arm positionof the influence with the “batman” overlay image 312 d generated onto ashirt of the influencer 102. As illustrated, the influencer 102 is shownholding a controller 314 with their arms 315 extended and pointed in adownward direction. The arm angle 326 c is the angle formed between areference line 328 and an arm reference line 330. With the influencer'sarms extended downward, the forces applied to the shirt may be less thanthe embodiments in FIGS. 3B-1 and 3C-1 because the stretching, bending,and pulling forces applied to the shirt is not as severe when theinfluencer's arms are extended downward. In this position, gravitationalforces can exert a downward pull on the shirt. Referring to FIG. 3D-2,the figure illustrates an enlarged view of the overlay image 312 d shownin FIG. 3D-1 with its corresponding surface parameters 316 d. As shownin the 3D-2, when the influencer's arms are extended downward, this mayresult in the overlay image 312 d having surface parameters 316 d thatincludes only texture 318 and wrinkles 322 e-322 f.

FIG. 4A illustrates an embodiment of a follower interface 402 a whichprovides a view from the perspective of the follower 110 when thefollower 110 is connected to the influencer channel 106. As illustrated,the follower interface 402 a includes a view of the content channel 108and the influencer channel 106 stitched together. In one embodiment, theview of the content channel 108 is larger than the influencer channel106 because the followers 110 have a greater interest in the contentdisplayed in the content channel 108. As noted above, the influencer 102can connect to view a player's 114 content on the content channel 108.In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the content channel 108 illustrates agameplay of the player 114 playing a game involving soldiers in warbattle. During the gameplay, the followers 110 may also have a view ofthe influencer channel 106 which allows the followers 110 to view andlisten to the influencer 102 commentating on the player's 114 gameplayas the game progresses.

FIG. 4A further illustrates a plurality of overlay images generated ontovarious objects in the content channel 108 and the influencer channel106. The overlay images can be generated onto various surfaces andcontent associated with objects in the environment 104 of the influencer102, environment of the player 114, and the environment of the contentchannel 108. The system may designate various surfaces and contentassociated with objects in the respective environments as markers sothat overlay images can be generated onto the marker location. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the content channel 108 of theplayer 114 includes a gameplay scene which includes helicopters 404a-404 b, tank 406, and soldier 408. As shown, the overlay imagesrepresenting “RCA Records” and “Bad Boy Records” are generated onto asurface area associated with helicopters 404 a and 404 b where markerswere designated. The overlay image representing “Epic Records” isgenerated onto a surface area associated with the tank 406 where amarker was designated. Overlay image representing “Legacy Recordings” isgenerated onto a surface area of soldier 408 where a virtual maker wasdesignated.

FIG. 4B illustrates an embodiment of a follower interface 402 b whichprovides a view from the perspective of the follower 110 when thefollower 110 is connected to the influencer channel 106. As illustrated,the follower interface 402 b includes a view of the content on theinfluencer channel 106 and the content on the content channel 108. Inone embodiment, the view of the influencer channel 106 and the contentchannel 108 can be configured to be substantially the same size. FIG. 4Bfurther illustrates a plurality of overlay images that have beengenerated onto various objects in the environment of the influencer 102and the environment of the content channel 108. For example, referringto the influencer channel 106, the figure illustrates the overlay imagesrepresenting “Epic Records” and “Bad Boy Records” generated onto asurface area associated with picture frames 210 a and 210 b,respectively. The overlay images representing “Columbia PicturesIndustries,” “Startime International” and “PlayStation 5” are generatedonto a surface area associated with the closet 214. The overlay imagesrepresenting “Gaikai” and ‘Insomniac Games, Inc.” are generated onto asurface area associated the bookshelf 208. The overlay imagesrepresenting “batman” and “RCA Records” are generated onto the shirt ofthe influencer 102. Referring to the content channel 108, the overlayimages representing “RCA Records” and “Bad Boy Records” are generatedonto a surface area associated with helicopters 404 a and 404 b. Theoverlay image representing “Epic Records” is generated onto a surfacearea associated with tank 406. The overlay image representing “LegacyRecordings” is generated onto a surface area associated with the soldier408.

FIG. 4C illustrates an embodiment of a follower interface 402 c whichprovides a view from the perspective of the follower 110 when thefollower 110 is connected to the influencer channel 106. As illustrated,the follower interface 402 b includes a view of the influencer channel106, content channel 108 a, and content channel 108 b. In oneembodiment, the influencer 102 can simultaneously connect to multiplecontent channels, e.g., content channels 108 a-108 b. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 4C, the influencer 102 is connected to and viewingcontent channel 108 a and content channel 108 b. Content channel 108 aillustrates the gameplay of player 114 a playing a war game involvingsoldiers. Content channel 108 b illustrates the gameplay of player 114 bplaying a kickboxing game. Since the influencer 102 is viewing thecontent from content channels 108 a and 108 b, the influencer 102 canprovide commentary on both content channels as both games are beingplayed. As noted above, a plurality of overlay images can be generatedonto various objects located in the influencer channel 106 and thecontent channel 108. Referring to the content channel 108 b, overlayimages representing “Legacy Recordings” and “TriStar Pictures” aregenerated onto a surface area associated with a first kickboxer 410 anda second kickboxer, respectively.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a method for generating a videostream for followers of an influencer during a session by generatingoverlay images for at least one surface parameter in the environment ofthe influencer. In one embodiment, the method includes an operation 502that captures video images of an environment 104 of an influencer 102and the influencer 102 viewing an online content channel 108. As notedabove, cameras 122 a-122 n can be used to record the influencer 102 intheir environment 104 when the influencer 102 creates content (e.g.,reaction videos, product reviews, product endorsements, comedy skitsetc.) for the influencer channel 106. The cameras 122 a-122 n can bepositioned at different areas within the environment 104 to capture aunique perspective so that the followers 110 can have differentviewpoints of the influencer 102 and the environment 104. In oneembodiment, the cameras 122 a-122 n can be an RGB-Depth sensing camerawhich includes depth sensing so that 3D models can be created. TheRGB-Depth sensing camera can provide both color and dense depth imageswhich can facilitate 3D mapping of the captured images.

The method flows to operation 504 where the operation is configured todetect surface parameters in the environment 104 of the influencer 102.In one embodiment, the operation 504 is configured to scan the videoimages captured by the plurality of cameras 116 and detect varioussurfaces and surface parameters associated with the objects in theenvironment 104 of the influencer 102. The surface parameters mayinclude various associated three-dimensional features such as surfacecontours, wrinkles, folds, creases, shading, occlusions, textures,curvature, shadowing, etc. In some embodiments, the identified surfacesassociated with the objects can be designated as markers so that overlayimages can be generated at the marker location.

In other embodiments, the markers may be physically anchored or embeddedin real-world objects such as clothing worn by the influencer and/orvarious objects in the environment 104 of the influencer 102. In someembodiments, the markers can be virtual markers. For example, virtualmarkers can be any anything in the video image that is recognizable anddistinguishable from frame-to-frame, e.g., buttons on a shirt. As theinfluencer moves around, the shirt button is continuously tracked andcan be detected at any point in time. In some embodiments, a machinelearning model that is trained to identify various real-world objectsand various features on a human body. For example, the machine learningmodel can differentiate between the front and back of a person.Accordingly, the machine learning model can help determine whether themarker is located on the back of a person's shirt or the front of theshirt.

The method flows to operation 506 where the operation is configured toprocess the surface parameters to identify three-dimensional featuresassociated with the surface parameters. As noted above, the surfaceparameters associated with an object may include variousthree-dimensional features such as surface contours, wrinkles, folds,creases, shading, occlusions, textures, curvature, shadowing, etc. Forexample, the system detects a bookshelf in the environment of theinfluencer and processes the surface parameters of the bookshelf toidentify three-dimensional features which results in a flat surface areaand coarse texture. In another example, the system detects that theinfluencer is wearing a wool sweater. The wool sweater may be loosefitting and designed to fit the influencer comfortably. Because thesweater is loose fitting, the surface parameters associated with an areaof the wool sweater includes multiple folds, curvatures, and surfacecontours. In some embodiments, other factors may affect thethree-dimensional features associated with the surface parameters ofclothing worn by the influencer. These factors may include the fabrictype, fit (e.g., loose, normal, slim), body position and movements ofthe influencer, etc.

In some embodiments, operation 506 is configured to process the surfaceparameters to extract depth data from the three-dimensional features. Inone embodiment, the depth data may include three-dimensional featureswhich can be used to generate a wire frame model of an object in theenvironment that is associated with the surface parameters beingprocessed. In one embodiment, operation 506 may include one or moremachine learning operations to help predict the depth data when thedepth data is unavailable.

At operation 508, the operation is configured to generate an overlayimage for at least one of the surface parameters detected in theenvironment of the influencer. In some embodiments, the overlay image isconfigured for dynamic contouring to the identified three-dimensionalfeatures so that the overlay image can appear realistic as if it wasoriginally printed or embroidered on the object. For example, theinfluencer 102 may be wearing a knit beanie which includes multiplefolds, wrinkles, creases, and occlusions. When an overlay image isgenerated onto the surface of the knit beanie, the overlay image isdynamically contoured to the various folds, wrinkles, creases, andocclusions associated with the knit beanie. When generating the overlayimage, the depth and various three-dimensional features of the knitbeanie is incorporated onto the overlay image, thus, enhancing therealistic appearance of the overlay image.

In some embodiments, operation 508 is configured to process the overlayimage to enable the dynamic contouring of the identifiedthree-dimensional features. Operation 508 may include one or moremachine learning operations to help approximate object geometry andsurface parameters that are not visible so that the overlay image can begenerated for the surface parameters. In one embodiment, during asession, operation 508 is configured to adjust a shape of the overlayimage to follow changes in the surface parameters of the object andgeometric viewing angles of the surface parameters. For example, as thesurface parameters associated with a shirt of the influencer changesduring a session, operation 508 can adjust a shape of the overlay image(e.g., batman logo) to adjust for the changes to the surface parameters.

In some embodiments, to further enhance the realistic appearance of theoverlay image, the overlay image is dynamically contoured to adjustlighting parameters and shadowing parameters of the overlay image basedon viewable changes in the surface parameters of the object during thesession. For example, if a light source is directed from a directionbehind the influencer's shoulders, an overlay image that is applied tothe front portion of the influencer's shirt may include shadows orappear darker because the overlay image does not directly face the lightsource. Without some type of shadowing that is applied to the overlayimage or other regions where shadows are expected to appear, the overlayimage may look too artificial and unrealistic.

In another embodiment, overlay image can be selected based on a profileof the follower so that the video stream received by the follower whenviewing the influencer channel 106 is customized based on the profile ofthe follower. In one embodiment, the overlay images may be selectedusing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Module that is configured toreceive data from the influencer channel 106, data from the contentchannel 108, and profile data of the follower 110 as inputs. The datafrom the influencer channel 106 the content channel 108 can be used todetermine what the follower 110 is viewing and the context of thecontent. The follower profile can include various attributes associatedwith the follower 110 such as the follower's interests, preferences,likes, dislikes, gaming experience and skill level, etc. Using the notedinputs, the AI module implements one or more machine learning operationsthat predicts which overlay images to select and overlay for a givenfollower 110. For example, based on the profile data of the followers110, the AI Module can determine that 75% of the followers 110 who arepresently connected to the influencer channel 106 are logging in fromJapan. Based on the profile data and other factors such as what iscurrently popular in Japanese culture, follower demographics, time ofday, etc. the AI module can may a prediction on the type of overlayimages the followers 110 might have an interest in.

In some embodiments, the overlay image can be changed based on changesin the followers 110 and/or engagement associated with the content onthe influencer channel 106. For example, as followers connect ordisconnect from viewing content because of their interest or disinterestin the content on the influencer channel 106 during a session, theoverlay image can be updated to reflect the changes in the followers.

In accordance with another embodiment, the method flows to operation 510where the operation is configured to track the surface parametersassociated with an object for changes in positioning of the surfaceparameters. In some embodiments, operation 510 is configured to trackthe position and orientation of the surface parameters of an object sothat the wire frame model can be updated during the session. This allowsthe system to know the location of the surface parameters at any givenpoint in time. For example, as the influencer moves or naturally changespositions, the system can generate an overlay image onto the locationthat is consistent with the scene. For example, an upper sleeve of aninfluencer's shirt can be designated as a marker location. The surfaceparameters associated with the location of the marker may includevarious three-dimensional features such as wrinkles, creases, folds, andsurface contours at an initial point in time (e.g., time t0). At a laterpoint in time (e.g., time t10), the influencer moves their arm to adifferent position which in turn can cause various changes to thethree-dimensional features associated surface parameters. Accordingly,at time t10, the position and the three-dimensional features associatedand the surface parameters (e.g., wrinkles, creases, folds, and surfacecontours) may be different than it was at time t0. As a result, as theobjects in the environment changes positions, the system can track theposition of the surface parameters so that an overlay image can begenerated at the appropriate location while taking into considerationthe changes to the three-dimensional features associated with thesurface parameters.

FIG. 6 illustrates components of an example device 600 that can be usedto perform aspects of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.This block diagram illustrates a device 600 that can incorporate or canbe a personal computer, video game console, personal digital assistant,a server or other digital device, suitable for practicing an embodimentof the disclosure. Device 600 includes a central processing unit (CPU)602 for running software applications and optionally an operatingsystem. CPU 602 may be comprised of one or more homogeneous orheterogeneous processing cores. For example, CPU 602 is one or moregeneral-purpose microprocessors having one or more processing cores.Further embodiments can be implemented using one or more CPUs withmicroprocessor architectures specifically adapted for highly paralleland computationally intensive applications, such as processingoperations of interpreting a query, identifying contextually relevantresources, and implementing and rendering the contextually relevantresources in a video game immediately. Device 600 may be a localized toa player playing a game segment (e.g., game console), or remote from theplayer (e.g., back-end server processor), or one of many servers usingvirtualization in a game cloud system for remote streaming of gameplayto clients.

Memory 604 stores applications and data for use by the CPU 602. Storage606 provides non-volatile storage and other computer readable media forapplications and data and may include fixed disk drives, removable diskdrives, flash memory devices, and CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, orother optical storage devices, as well as signal transmission andstorage media. User input devices 608 communicate user inputs from oneor more users to device 600, examples of which may include keyboards,mice, joysticks, touch pads, touch screens, still or videorecorders/cameras, tracking devices for recognizing gestures, and/ormicrophones. Network interface 614 allows device 600 to communicate withother computer systems via an electronic communications network, and mayinclude wired or wireless communication over local area networks andwide area networks such as the internet. An audio processor 612 isadapted to generate analog or digital audio output from instructionsand/or data provided by the CPU 602, memory 604, and/or storage 606. Thecomponents of device 600, including CPU 602, memory 604, data storage606, user input devices 608, network interface 610, and audio processor612 are connected via one or more data buses 622.

A graphics subsystem 620 is further connected with data bus 622 and thecomponents of the device 600. The graphics subsystem 620 includes agraphics processing unit (GPU) 616 and graphics memory 618. Graphicsmemory 618 includes a display memory (e.g., a frame buffer) used forstoring pixel data for each pixel of an output image. Graphics memory618 can be integrated in the same device as GPU 608, connected as aseparate device with GPU 616, and/or implemented within memory 604.Pixel data can be provided to graphics memory 618 directly from the CPU602. Alternatively, CPU 602 provides the GPU 616 with data and/orinstructions defining the desired output images, from which the GPU 616generates the pixel data of one or more output images. The data and/orinstructions defining the desired output images can be stored in memory604 and/or graphics memory 618. In an embodiment, the GPU 616 includes3D rendering capabilities for generating pixel data for output imagesfrom instructions and data defining the geometry, lighting, shading,texturing, motion, and/or camera parameters for a scene. The GPU 616 canfurther include one or more programmable execution units capable ofexecuting shader programs.

The graphics subsystem 614 periodically outputs pixel data for an imagefrom graphics memory 618 to be displayed on display device 610. Displaydevice 610 can be any device capable of displaying visual information inresponse to a signal from the device 600, including CRT, LCD, plasma,and OLED displays. Device 600 can provide the display device 610 with ananalog or digital signal, for example.

It should be noted, that access services, such as providing access togames of the current embodiments, delivered over a wide geographicalarea often use cloud computing. Cloud computing is a style of computingin which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources areprovided as a service over the Internet. Users do not need to be anexpert in the technology infrastructure in the “cloud” that supportsthem. Cloud computing can be divided into different services, such asInfrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), andSoftware as a Service (SaaS). Cloud computing services often providecommon applications, such as video games, online that are accessed froma web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers inthe cloud. The term cloud is used as a metaphor for the Internet, basedon how the Internet is depicted in computer network diagrams and is anabstraction for the complex infrastructure it conceals.

A game server may be used to perform the operations of the durationalinformation platform for video game players, in some embodiments. Mostvideo games played over the Internet operate via a connection to thegame server. Typically, games use a dedicated server application thatcollects data from players and distributes it to other players. In otherembodiments, the video game may be executed by a distributed gameengine. In these embodiments, the distributed game engine may beexecuted on a plurality of processing entities (PEs) such that each PEexecutes a functional segment of a given game engine that the video gameruns on. Each processing entity is seen by the game engine as simply acompute node. Game engines typically perform an array of functionallydiverse operations to execute a video game application along withadditional services that a user experiences. For example, game enginesimplement game logic, perform game calculations, physics, geometrytransformations, rendering, lighting, shading, audio, as well asadditional in-game or game-related services. Additional services mayinclude, for example, messaging, social utilities, audio communication,game play replay functions, help function, etc. While game engines maysometimes be executed on an operating system virtualized by a hypervisorof a particular server, in other embodiments, the game engine itself isdistributed among a plurality of processing entities, each of which mayreside on different server units of a data center.

According to this embodiment, the respective processing entities forperforming the may be a server unit, a virtual machine, or a container,depending on the needs of each game engine segment. For example, if agame engine segment is responsible for camera transformations, thatparticular game engine segment may be provisioned with a virtual machineassociated with a graphics processing unit (GPU) since it will be doinga large number of relatively simple mathematical operations (e.g.,matrix transformations). Other game engine segments that require fewerbut more complex operations may be provisioned with a processing entityassociated with one or more higher power central processing units(CPUs).

By distributing the game engine, the game engine is provided withelastic computing properties that are not bound by the capabilities of aphysical server unit. Instead, the game engine, when needed, isprovisioned with more or fewer compute nodes to meet the demands of thevideo game. From the perspective of the video game and a video gameplayer, the game engine being distributed across multiple compute nodesis indistinguishable from a non-distributed game engine executed on asingle processing entity, because a game engine manager or supervisordistributes the workload and integrates the results seamlessly toprovide video game output components for the end user.

Users access the remote services with client devices, which include atleast a CPU, a display and I/O. The client device can be a PC, a mobilephone, a netbook, a PDA, etc. In one embodiment, the network executingon the game server recognizes the type of device used by the client andadjusts the communication method employed. In other cases, clientdevices use a standard communications method, such as html, to accessthe application on the game server over the internet.

It should be appreciated that a given video game or gaming applicationmay be developed for a specific platform and a specific associatedcontroller device. However, when such a game is made available via agame cloud system as presented herein, the user may be accessing thevideo game with a different controller device. For example, a game mighthave been developed for a game console and its associated controller,whereas the user might be accessing a cloud-based version of the gamefrom a personal computer utilizing a keyboard and mouse. In such ascenario, the input parameter configuration can define a mapping frominputs which can be generated by the user's available controller device(in this case, a keyboard and mouse) to inputs which are acceptable forthe execution of the video game.

In another example, a user may access the cloud gaming system via atablet computing device, a touchscreen smartphone, or other touchscreendriven device. In this case, the client device and the controller deviceare integrated together in the same device, with inputs being providedby way of detected touchscreen inputs/gestures. For such a device, theinput parameter configuration may define particular touchscreen inputscorresponding to game inputs for the video game. For example, buttons, adirectional pad, or other types of input elements might be displayed oroverlaid during running of the video game to indicate locations on thetouchscreen that the user can touch to generate a game input. Gesturessuch as swipes in particular directions or specific touch motions mayalso be detected as game inputs. In one embodiment, a tutorial can beprovided to the user indicating how to provide input via the touchscreenfor gameplay, e.g. prior to beginning gameplay of the video game, so asto acclimate the user to the operation of the controls on thetouchscreen.

In some embodiments, the client device serves as the connection pointfor a controller device. That is, the controller device communicates viaa wireless or wired connection with the client device to transmit inputsfrom the controller device to the client device. The client device mayin turn process these inputs and then transmit input data to the cloudgame server via a network (e.g. accessed via a local networking devicesuch as a router). However, in other embodiments, the controller canitself be a networked device, with the ability to communicate inputsdirectly via the network to the cloud game server, without beingrequired to communicate such inputs through the client device first. Forexample, the controller might connect to a local networking device (suchas the aforementioned router) to send to and receive data from the cloudgame server. Thus, while the client device may still be required toreceive video output from the cloud-based video game and render it on alocal display, input latency can be reduced by allowing the controllerto send inputs directly over the network to the cloud game server,bypassing the client device.

In one embodiment, a networked controller and client device can beconfigured to send certain types of inputs directly from the controllerto the cloud game server, and other types of inputs via the clientdevice. For example, inputs whose detection does not depend on anyadditional hardware or processing apart from the controller itself canbe sent directly from the controller to the cloud game server via thenetwork, bypassing the client device. Such inputs may include buttoninputs, joystick inputs, embedded motion detection inputs (e.g.accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope), etc. However, inputs thatutilize additional hardware or require processing by the client devicecan be sent by the client device to the cloud game server. These mightinclude captured video or audio from the game environment that may beprocessed by the client device before sending to the cloud game server.Additionally, inputs from motion detection hardware of the controllermight be processed by the client device in conjunction with capturedvideo to detect the position and motion of the controller, which wouldsubsequently be communicated by the client device to the cloud gameserver. It should be appreciated that the controller device inaccordance with various embodiments may also receive data (e.g. feedbackdata) from the client device or directly from the cloud gaming server.

It should be understood that the various embodiments defined herein maybe combined or assembled into specific implementations using the variousfeatures disclosed herein. Thus, the examples provided are just somepossible examples, without limitation to the various implementationsthat are possible by combining the various elements to define many moreimplementations. In some examples, some implementations may includefewer elements, without departing from the spirit of the disclosed orequivalent implementations.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced with variouscomputer system configurations including hand-held devices,microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumerelectronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers and the like.Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be practiced indistributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remoteprocessing devices that are linked through a wire-based or wirelessnetwork.

Although the method operations were described in a specific order, itshould be understood that other housekeeping operations may be performedin between operations, or operations may be adjusted so that they occurat slightly different times or may be distributed in a system whichallows the occurrence of the processing operations at various intervalsassociated with the processing, as long as the processing of thetelemetry and game state data for generating modified game states andare performed in the desired way.

One or more embodiments can also be fabricated as computer readable codeon a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium is any datastorage device that can store data, which can be thereafter be read by acomputer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include harddrives, network attached storage (NAS), read-only memory, random-accessmemory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetic tapes and other optical andnon-optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium caninclude computer readable tangible medium distributed over anetwork-coupled computer system so that the computer readable code isstored and executed in a distributed fashion.

Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detailfor purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent thatcertain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope ofthe appended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the embodiments arenot to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modifiedwithin the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for generating a video stream forfollowers of an influencer during a session, comprising: capturing videoimages of an environment of the influencer, wherein the environmentincludes the influencer viewing an online content channel; detectingsurface parameters in the environment; processing the surface parametersto identify three-dimensional features associated with the surfaceparameters; identifying a follower that is viewing the influencer;generating an overlay image for at least one of the surface parameters,the overlay image is configured for dynamic contouring to the identifiedthree-dimensional features during the session, wherein the overlay imageis selected based on a profile of the follower so that the video streamreceived by the follower when viewing the influencer is customized basedon the profile of the follower.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising, identifying additional followers of the influencer duringthe session, and for each additional follow generating an additionaloverlay image that is dynamically contoured to the identifiedthree-dimensional features during the session.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein each said additional follower is provided with said video streamthat is customized based on a respective profile of the additionalfollower.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein each said additionalfollower and the follower receive said video stream with different onesof said overlay image or additional overlay image.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said identifying of the follower includes identifyingone or more additional followers, and the overlay image that is selectedis additionally based on a combination of the profile of the followerand profiles of the one or more additional followers, such that each ofthe follower and the additional followers receive a same one of saidoverlay image in the video stream.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein thevideo stream and said overlay image is customized a group that includesthe follower and the one or more additional followers.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising, processing the surface parameters toextract depth data from the three-dimensional features, the depth dataused to generate a wire frame model of an object in the environment thatis associated with the surface parameters being processed; tracking theobject to update the wire frame model during the session; processing theoverlay image to enable said dynamic contouring of the identifiedthree-dimensional features.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein saiddynamic contouring is configured to adjust a shape of the overlay imageto follow changes in the surface parameters of the object during thesession, wherein the object in the environment is associated with imagesof the influencer.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein said dynamiccontouring is configured to occlude one or more parts of the overlayimage based on viewable changes in the surface parameters of the objectduring the session, wherein the object in the environment is associatedwith images of the influencer.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein saiddynamic contouring is configured to adjust lighting parameters of theoverlay image based on viewable changes in the surface parameters of theobject during the session, wherein the object in the environment isassociated with images of the influencer.
 11. The method of claim 7,wherein said dynamic contouring is configured to adjust a shape of theoverlay image to follow geometric viewing angles of the surfaceparameters of the object during the session, wherein the object in theenvironment is associated with real-world objects in the environment ofthe influencer.
 12. A method for generating a video stream for followersof an influencer during a session, comprising: capturing video images ofan environment of the influencer, wherein the environment includes theinfluencer viewing an online content channel; detecting surfaceparameters in the environment; processing the surface parameters toidentify three-dimensional features associated with the surfaceparameters; identifying a plurality of followers that are viewing theinfluencer; generating an overlay image for at least one of the surfaceparameters, the overlay is selected based on information identified inprofiles of the plurality of followers; wherein the video streamreceived by the followers is customized during the session.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, further comprising, changing the overlay image basedon changes in said followers.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein thechanges in said followers includes one or more followers stopping saidviewing of the influencer or one or more followers joining the viewingof the influencer.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein said changes insaid followers further includes changes in engagement in said viewing ofthe influencer.
 16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumstoring a computer program, the computer-readable storage mediumcomprising: program instructions for capturing video images of anenvironment of an influencer, wherein the environment includes theinfluencer viewing an online content channel; program instructions fordetecting surface parameters in the environment; program instructionsfor processing the surface parameters to identify three-dimensionalfeatures associated with the surface parameters; program instructionsfor identifying a follower that is viewing the influencer; programinstructions for generating an overlay image for at least one of thesurface parameters, the overlay image is configured for dynamiccontouring to the identified three-dimensional features during asession, wherein the overlay image is selected based on a profile of thefollower so that a video stream received by the follower when viewingthe influencer is customized based on the profile of the follower. 17.The storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the three-dimensionalfeatures include one or more surface contours, or wrinkles, or folds, orcreases, or shading, or occlusions, or textures, or curvature, orshadowing.
 18. The storage medium as recited in claim 16, furtherincluding: program instructions for identifying additional followers ofthe influencer during the session, and for each additional followgenerating an additional overlay image that is dynamically contoured tothe identified three-dimensional features during the session.
 19. Thestorage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said identifying of thefollower includes identifying one or more additional followers, and theoverlay image that is selected is additionally based on a combination ofthe profile of the follower and profiles of the one or more additionalfollowers, such that each of the follower and the additional followersreceive a same one of said overlay image in the video stream.
 20. Thestorage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said dynamic contouringis configured to adjust a shape of the overlay image to follow changesin the surface parameters of the object during the session, wherein theobject in the environment is associated with images of the influencer.